Marin Voice: Saving wilderness from exploitation

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION understands that the Drakes Bay Oyster Co. is leading the public down the slippery slope to the Koch Brothers and their extremist agenda to exploit public lands.

Thankfully, two courts have now upheld the administration's decision to let the company's lease expire as planned.

To extend Drakes Bay's lease would have set a dangerous precedent for mining and drilling interests to exploit the same public lands that extremist politicians want eliminated.

The company is a willing and useful partner in this effort, which is why it has drawn support from Koch-funded entities.

But when the Drakes Bay-Koch link recently became too apparent, the oyster company theatrically severed its legal representation by Cause of Action, a Koch-connected firm.

But theater cannot disguise Drakes Bay's campaign donations to former Republican congressman Richard Pombo, when he was trying to privatize our national parks.

Nor can theater disguise the oyster company's current support by two other Koch-funded entities: Americans for Prosperity and the Pacific Legal Foundation (whose early case was to open wilderness for oil drilling).

Congressman Jared Huffman recently characterized such rationalizations as "part of a far-reaching political "... against environmental protections on public lands."

Drakes Bay claims its lease should be extended and wilderness eliminated because of what Jeff Creque's Aug. 25 Marin Voice column rationalizes as "up-to-date ecological theory" and the economics of "human mouths to be fed."

But these rationalizations are neither ecological nor economic. Instead, they are rooted in extremist abhorrance of public lands and institutions.

Farmers, scientists, native peoples and governments worldwide are recognizing the importance of wilderness insulated from political and commercial pressures in order to enhance food production as well as biodiversity.

California recently designated marine reserves along its coast "... not due to what the Aug. 25 belittles as "19th-century" "human-free" ideals, but because such reserves increase sustainable fishery harvest.

Wilderness also restores the spirits of its many human visitors, providing economic stimulus to nearby communities.

Yet it is precisely such wilderness that Drakes Bay and Koch-funded organizations argue should be destroyed under the guise of "sustainability."

Such a skewed focus demeans efforts to reform unsustainable agriculture throughout the U.S..

We don't have to feed ourselves by uprooting churches to plant wheat "... nor power our economy by drilling in national parks. Such preposterous sustainability arguments disguise extractive agendas, such as Drakes Bay's.

Drakes Bay has violated harbor seal protections and continues to spread invasive species and plastic pollution, while defending itself with rhetoric spun as "science."

Yet two courts have now characterized its bogus science claims as irrelevant and "unsound."

Drakes Bay's attorneys try to block every attempt to regulate the rogue company, while it spins itself as the victim.

Yet two courts have now characterized Drakes Bay's legal and regulatory arguments as "not tenable" and "unavailing."

Drakes Bay blames the park service for misleading it. Yet two courts have stated that "Drakes Bay purchased the oyster farm with full disclosure, knowing"...(it) "...was set to expire in 2012."

Two courts have now seen through its attempt to set a precedent for exploiting public lands under the guise of local sustainable food.

Drakes Bay has cost taxpayers millions, yet it files more delaying lawsuits, raking in more cash and spreading more invasives every week it stays open.

Ultimately, wilderness will prevail, but the question is how much damage will be done in the meantime.

Gordon Bennett, a longtime proponent for turning the Point Reyes oyster company into wilderness , is president of Save Our Seashore. He was president of Westbrae Natural Foods, an early leader in the local organic food movement.